Stacks and Dr Crokes fancied to advance

SENIOR CLUB CHAMPIONSHIP

ROUND 2 Ardfert v Austin Stacks

Saturday, April 25, 6.30pm

ARDFERT’S reward for their extra-time win over Laune Rangers is a crack at the county SFC champions, Austin Stacks, and if we know one thing it is that Ardfert will relish a cut of the Rockies out in Ardfert.

On first consideration it’s hard to envisage anything other than a Stacks win; and that will suit Ardfert just fine. They revel in the underdog role and like nothing better than being written off and then doing a giant-killing.

Their come from behind win last weekend merely reinforces their never-say-die attitude and Stacks will do worse than to afford the Intermediate champions the height of respect.

Stacks have a win and a loss in the league but Saturday will be the first real test of where exactly they are at for the new season. It’s a game Stacks can ill-afford to lose and with Donaghy bringing last year’s form through the Rockies should emerge winners from a trying hour in Ardfert.

Dr Crokes v Legion

Sunday, April 26, 2pm

ANOTHER instalment of the classic Killarney derby and this one should be no less intriguing than the last few. This is a repeat of last year’s Club Championship final - a game that Crokes won by 13 points - but the expectation is that this contest should be somewhat closer.

Of course, Dr Crokes didn’t have Colm Cooper for last year’s final and they do have him back now, while James O’Donoghue is certain to either start or finish the game next weekend.

We assume he will start and he will need to; good and all as Legion were in the second half to beat O’Rahillys they were somewhat leaderless in the first half.

Jonathan Lyne, Podge O’Connor and the Keane brothers will have to carry the fight to their neighbours from the very start and O’Donoghue (and Conor Keane) will have to convert every scrap of a chance that comes therie way.

Crokes demolition of St Michaels/Foilmore reveals nothing we don’t already know about Crokes, but with a forward line of Cooper, O’Leary, Casey, Looney, Brady and Kenneally, it’s difficult to make a case for the Legion defence keeping that sextet to a scoreline that their own forward division can better. Senior Club Championship semi-finals (games to be played on May 15/16 at neutral venues) Dr Crokes or Legion v Rathmore Ardfert or Austin Stacks v Dingle